Page 9 - aruba-today-20190503

A9
WORLD NEWS Friday 3 May 2019

$ 10

Estonia minister calls president

'emotionally heated woman'

By JARI TANNER woman can afford to do ment speaker.
Associated Press that," Helme told reporters. The party's role in govern-
HELSINKI (AP) — The new in- "But Kersti Kaljulaid is not ing expanded Thursday
terior minister of Estonia on simply a woman, but the with Mart Helme's appoint-
Thursday called the coun- president of the republic." ment as first deputy prime
try's first female president "She reads one article, be- minister, a position that in-
an "emotionally heated comes so emotionally up- cludes leading the Cabinet In this Monday, March 4, 2019 file photo, Chairman of the Esto-
woman" for walking out set as a woman that she during the prime minister's nian Conservative People's Party (EKRE) Mart Helme speaks at
during the swearing-in of a makes a decision right absence.q the headquarters after parliamentary elections in Tallinn, Esto-
Cabinet minister accused away," he added. nia.
of domestic violence. Kaljulaid, who has been Associated Press
Mart Helme made the sex- president since October
ist remark at a news con- 2016, did not respond Thurs-
ference where he also ac- day to Helme's comments.
cused Estonian news out- She attended the Cabi-
lets of applying a double net ceremony wearing a
standard in covering abuse sweater printed with "Sona
allegations against the on vaba," which is Estonian
now-former minister from for "Speech is free."
his far-right party. Helme and his son, newly
President Kersti Kaljulaid, appointed Finance Min-
the first woman to serve as ister Martin Helme, have
the Baltic country's head of accused the news media
state, left a Monday swear- before of displaying a neg-
ing-in ceremony for a new ative bias toward the Esto-
three-party government nian Conservative People's
when it was time for the ap- Party, or ERKE.
pointee at issue to take the The party has advocated
oath of office. abolishing legal recog-
Marti Kuusik was sworn in nition for same-sex civil
as technology and foreign unions, demanded chang-
trade minister along with es to the abortion law and
the rest of Prime Minister fiercely opposed European
Juri Ratas' Cabinet after Union quotas for taking in
news reports featured the asylum-seekers.
domestic violence allega- Photographs of the two
tions. flashing the OK hand sign
Police opened an investi- at Monday's swearing-in
gation to review the alle- ceremony have received
gations hours later. Kuusik, attention from other politi-
a member of Helme's Esto- cians. The use of the familiar
nian Conservative People's gesture by some extreme-
Party, resigned the next right activists and white su-
day, saying the probe was premacists has given it an
based on "slander" and "a alternative meaning.
terrifying media attack" Mart Helme hasn't respond-
against him. ed to questions about his
Helme called the reporting and his son's hand motions.
"an unconstitutional witch EKRE entered Estonia's par-
hunt." He also made clear liament in 2015. It emerged
his dim view of the presi- from the country's March 3
dent's decision to walk out election with 17.8% of the
during the ceremony and vote to become the third-
return to her seat when it largest party in the national
was the next minister's turn. legislature. A party mem-
"An emotionally heated ber is the current parlia-